UNIVERSITY STAGES `DOCU-DRAMA' MONDAY

When the bell tolls 12 p.m. at Southeast Missouri State University Monday, emergency personnel will come running.

The Cape Girardeau Community Traffic Safety Program is hosting its second "docu-drama" at the university, staging a car crash where the actors inside are either seriously injured or killed. The driver will be arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Cape Girardeau police and fire personnel, University police officers, Cape County Private Ambulance and Cape County Coroner John Carpenter will participate in the docu-drama. The fire department will dispatch one of its rescue vehicles to perform an extrication of one of the victims.

Once the clock strikes 12, area emergency responders will react to the mock crash as they would an actual situation involving an impaired driver.

Victims and witnesses of the crash will be played by university students.

The purpose of the demonstration is to show people in a harmless setting the real life drama behind a car crash, in a controlled setting.

After the drama has been played out, the speakers will talk to the students gathered around to watch about safety belt usage, alcohol abuse and the consequences of drinking and driving.